EC tenders for e-health studies

The European Commission is tendering for the production of a study on enhancing procurement of ICT solutions in healthcare.

The call, which closes on 30 July 2010, aims to develop guidelines for healthcare decision makers on how to best conduct planning processes when procuring e-health systems.

It will help to achieve more efficient and effective healthcare through the adoption of ICT in the service delivery process as well as taking into consideration the Lead Market Initiative for e-health and the EC’s Communication on Telemedicine and the European e-health action plan.

The study will see researchers identify and analyse the challenges hindering the procurement of e-health systems and then find possible approaches for tackling those challenges.

The Commission plans to develop guidelines for on how to use ICT to achieve strategic healthcare goals.

The study will analyse ten e-health procurement initiatives carried out in the 27 Member States of the European Union, as well as Norway, Iceland or Switzerland.

However, it will focus specifically on the implementation of region-wide electronic health record systems and the use of telehealth in specific chronic disease management programmes run at regional level or in wide local areas.

The EC has also announced a separate call for researchers to explore and analyse relationships between emerging ICT and the development and use of assistive technologies and e-Accessibility.

The study will aim to assess whether there is an obvious relationship between ICT and assistive technologies as well as looking at relevant trends and challenges.

In addition the Commission requires the study to elaborate and discuss a series of hypothetical scenarios on the future development of assistive technologies and provide recommendations for research priorities and policy measure that can be used at European level.

The study will be carried out over the next twelve months with responses to the call being submitted by 25 August 2010.

Link

Call for Study on enhancing procurement of ICT solutions for healthcare

Call for Study on implications from future ICT trends on assistive technology and accessibility